The little cub was wearing a dinosaur pajama with a bow tied on his head. He was lying on his side inside the box, looking like a tiny gas can.
Li An carefully picked up the little gas can and handed him over to Li Heng.
“Sir, he’s asleep.”
Li An said softly, “He’ll be a bit more comfortable sleeping on the bed.”
Li Heng didn’t speak.
The small cub lay in his arms, soft in a way he hadn’t felt in a long time.
He lowered his gaze, quietly watching the sleeping cub.
At this moment, no one knew what he was thinking.
Time seemed to stand still.
Li An didn’t make a sound to disturb Li Heng. He stood quietly to the side, waiting.
Not far from the car, the villa was also lit up at this hour.
Li Sheng and Feng Qi hadn’t gone to sleep yet either.
The two of them stayed in the living room. Li Sheng was asking Feng Qi if he wanted to soak his feet.
Feng Qi had a weak constitution.
Li Sheng, for some reason, even though he didn’t fully understand, had been finding ways to help nourish Feng Qi’s body.
Even Feng Qi’s diet, he probably hadn’t paid attention to himself—
All of his meals were meant to be nourishing and healthy.
Soaking his feet before bed seemed to have some benefits. Since Feng Qi was sitting on the sofa, Li Sheng quietly asked him.
Feng Qi was too lazy to go prepare the foot bath.
He shook his head, a hint of amusement shimmering in his captivating eyes: “I’ll wait for Yuan Yuan here.”
He truly couldn’t wait to see what his Yuan Yuan had prepared for him.
Seeing that Feng Qi didn’t want to move, Li Sheng turned and went to the bathroom himself.
Soon after.
The foot soak bucket that Li Sheng had just bought was placed in front of the living room sofa.
Li Sheng, half-kneeling, took off Feng Qi’s slippers.
Feng Qi was exceptionally beautiful.
His body was more exquisite than the most beautiful work of art in the world.
Li Sheng held his ankle and dipped his icy-cold feet into the hot water.
The warmth of the water slightly stimulated his skin.
Feng Qi couldn’t help but let out an instinctive sigh.
“Feels so good.”
Squinting his eyes, Feng Qi, after getting used to the water’s temperature, lifted his gaze to Li Sheng’s handsome face.
Li Sheng’s large hands held his feet, massaging them without any hint of disgust.
“Don’t you have a thing about cleanliness?” Feng Qi asked.
Li Sheng didn’t even look up as he replied, “Not for you or Yuan Yuan.”
Yuan Yuan, being at the age full of energy, would get his little clothes dirty in less than a day.
Li Sheng was used to holding him.
Even when feeding him or bathing him, Li Sheng’s clothes would inevitably get smeared with oil, food stains, or water.
His cleanliness obsession had long vanished in the day-to-day life of raising a child.
His son’s dirtiness was something Li Sheng tolerated out of paternal love.
As for Feng Qi, Li Sheng had never once thought him dirty.
In Li Sheng’s eyes, Feng Qi was perfectly clean.
“Do you want to soak together?”
Feng Qi was in a good mood, and even looking at Li Sheng felt pleasing to the eye. He smiled as he invited him, “The basin is big enough anyway.”
Li Sheng’s hands paused mid-massage.
The suggestion made his heart flutter.
But after a few seconds, he still shook his head: “No need. I’ll just massage your feet.”
The massage techniques he had learned online were said to promote blood circulation and relieve the feeling of cold hands and feet.
Even though it was clearly summer, Feng Qi’s hands and feet were always icy cold.
Li Sheng continued kneading and massaging them.
Feng Qi hugged a pillow, resting his chin on it. Despite the late hour, he wasn’t feeling sleepy: “Li Sheng, how do you think Yuan Yuan will make his entrance?”
“I guess he’ll tie a bow for himself.”
Having raised his son for three years, Feng Qi knew his little head very well.
Just thinking about how his son would look tying a bow made his heart feel soft and warm.
“Li Sheng, is the camera ready?”
“Ready. As soon as Yuan Yuan comes in, we’ll start recording.”
“Alright, let me check the time.”
Feng Qi glanced at the clock; it was already past midnight.
Twelve ten.
Feng Qi looked at the time. The smile in his eyes suddenly faded.
His brows gradually furrowed.
Li Sheng had finished massaging his feet and added some more hot water, hoping he would soak a little longer.
But Feng Qi lifted his feet.
“Something’s not right… Why hasn’t Yuan Yuan arrived yet?”
Feng Qi lifted his feet, intending to put on his shoes.
Seeing this, Li Sheng took a towel, dried his feet, and helped him slip on his slippers.
Feng Qi put on his shoes and, walking toward the door, called Qin Xun.
The call was answered almost instantly.
Qin Xun hadn’t gone to sleep either.
Feng Qi opened the door and, seeing the entrance empty, asked Qin Xun in a low voice, “Xiao Xun, where’s Yuan Yuan? He hasn’t come yet?”
Qin Xun: “?”
Qin Xun was taken aback by the question: “He went over a long time ago. Around midnight, he had already gone. He hid in the box beforehand, and the butler sent him over…”
Qin Xun had originally wanted to go along, but the butler hadn’t invited him.
Qin Xun, being a bit shy, felt awkward going over without an invitation.
Today was Feng Qi’s birthday.
His family was celebrating, while he… was just an outsider.
“Butler?”
Feng Qi caught the keyword: “The butler came?”
“Yes, he took the box over. Yuan Yuan is inside the box,” Qin Xun said.
At that moment, Qin Xun also realized something was off.
“Uncle Feng, wasn’t Yuan Yuan sent over?”
Feng Qi didn’t answer Qin Xun’s question directly.
He simply reminded Qin Xun to go to bed early.
After hanging up, Feng Qi turned his gaze toward Li Sheng.
Li Sheng followed behind him and overheard the phone conversation.
“It was Uncle Li who took Yuan Yuan away.”
Li Sheng pulled out his phone, intending to call Li An.
Before he could even make the call, Feng Qi had already stepped out the door.
“Feng Qi!”
Seeing him leave, Li Sheng didn’t bother dialing and hurried after him.
At this moment, Yuan Yuan hadn’t been taken far.
He was still in a house not far from the villa area.
Not only was he there, but he was also awake.
Probably worried about something in his heart, Yuan Yuan hadn’t slept deeply.
No one had disturbed him. He woke up on his own, humming softly.
As soon as he opened his eyes, Yuan Yuan saw a stranger’s face in front of him.
Upon seeing this unfamiliar face, Yuan Yuan thought he must still be dreaming.
He clenched his chubby little fists and rubbed his eyes hard.
After rubbing his eyes, he looked again. Someone was still there.
As Yuan Yuan blinked in dazed disbelief, the strange elderly man in front of him spoke.
“I am your grandfather.”
Yuan Yuan: “!”
Yuan Yuan’s eyes widened suddenly.
He had actually wanted to see his grandfather for a long time, but both Big Daddy and Little Uncle had spoken ill of him.
He had been too scared to think about his grandfather.
Now, with his grandfather suddenly appearing, Yuan Yuan’s little heart raced uncontrollably.
“Y-you… you’re my grandfather?”
The soft, tender baby voice he had only heard once on the phone sounded again. Li Heng showed no outward reaction, but his eyes flickered slightly.
He let out a soft “Mm” and replied, “It’s me.”
Yuan Yuan studied him, his little expression serious.
The big and the small were both watching each other.
No one knew how much time had passed.
Tentatively, Yuan Yuan tilted his little face up.
Li Heng: “?”
Li Heng didn’t move.
Li An, standing nearby, saw this small gesture from Yuan Yuan and lowered his voice slightly to remind him, “Sir, Yuan Yuan wants you to kiss him.”
Li Heng: “……”
Li Heng froze for a moment.
Seeing his master hesitate to kiss him, Li An felt a little itch in his heart.
He had also received kisses from Yuan Yuan before.
The little one’s kiss was so soft that it made the person being kissed feel his heart soften along with it.
In the Li family’s decades of history, he had never seen such an adorable and tender cub like Yuan Yuan.
Li Heng had never encountered such a child before, either.
“Not going to kiss me?”
Yuan Yuan’s attempt at testing him had failed. His chubby little face fell as he prepared to pull back.
Grandpa didn’t want to kiss him, so he really didn’t like him.
Yuan Yuan came to this conclusion, puffing up his little cheeks as he tried to walk away from his grandfather.
Before he could move, Li Heng, who had just refused to kiss him, reached out and touched his little face.
The next moment.
A slightly stiff, very awkward kiss landed on his little face.
Yuan Yuan: “!”
Yuan Yuan’s eyes lit up instantly.
He looked at his grandfather. The disappointment on his little face was completely replaced by joy.
“Grandpa!”
Yuan Yuan called out in a loud, babyish voice.
Li Heng, kissing such a small cub for the first time, still had a tense expression.
Yuan Yuan squeezed his little body between Li Heng’s legs. Once he was sure his grandfather liked him, he immediately started chatting with him like they were already familiar.
“Do you know my name? I’m Yuan Yuan, and my Big Daddy is your son!”
“I’m in kindergarten now. I’m in the Green Leaf class.”
“Grandpa, why did you come back?”
“Did you come to see Yuan Yuan?”
Yuan Yuan, being a little chatterbox, kept talking without stopping.
Li Heng only occasionally responded with a few words.
Even so, Yuan Yuan could still keep the conversation going.
He climbed onto Li Heng’s lap, not only chatting with him but also snuggling close.
It was obvious to anyone that Yuan Yuan liked his grandfather.
When Yuan Yuan used to be with Feng Qi, he envied other children who had lots of family members.
Back then, he only had one dad. Seeing other kids with dads and moms, plus grandparents, uncles, and aunts…
It made him feel really sad inside.
He wanted to have many family members around him, too.
With his dad’s poor health, being the only one to stay with him was very scary.
He was afraid that if his dad got seriously ill, he wouldn’t be able to save him.
Li Heng felt the closeness of the little cub in his arms. This feeling was unfamiliar, novel, and a little delicate to him.
“Grandpa, where are we right now?”
After chatting for so long, Yuan Yuan finally realized this question.
Li Heng told him an address.
After giving the address, he added in a calm voice, “The plane will be here soon.”
The Li family’s private plane would come to pick them up.
Yuan Yuan tilted his head.
He didn’t understand why a plane would come.
His little, clear-headed mind at this moment was thinking about his dad.
“Grandpa, it’s my dad’s birthday today!”
Yuan Yuan happily informed his grandfather in his baby voice: “Birthday means you can eat cake!”
Li Heng wasn’t interested in cake.
Yuan Yuan’s eyes curved into crescents. His soft, dough-like little face pressed against him.
He leaned close to Li Heng’s ear, whispering mysteriously about all the gifts he had prepared for his dad.
Even though he was delayed a little while at his grandfather’s place, Yuan Yuan wasn’t upset at all.
He happily hugged Li Heng’s neck, urging him to eat cake together.
“I’ll cut a big, big cake for you, Grandpa!”
After reuniting with his grandfather, Yuan Yuan was ready to leave. He wrapped himself around Li Heng, sweet words spilling out endlessly.
“Grandpa, can you take Yuan Yuan to see Dad now?”
“Yuan Yuan still wants to give Dad a surprise!”
“Grandpa, you’re the best!”
“Yuan Yuan likes you!”
Yuan Yuan’s rainbow-like flattery made a comeback. Li Heng, who had never been clung to by a little cub like this, was unusually silent.
